


K-9

by Ladybug_21



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Gen, Momboss and Detectiveson, Police Dogs!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-17
Updated: 2020-11-17
Packaged: 2021-03-09 17:41:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27600166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ladybug_21/pseuds/Ladybug_21
Summary: Korra and Asami depart for the Spirit World, leaving Naga in Mako's care, and Republic City inadvertently gains its first ever police polar bear dog.Naturally, Lin disapproves. (Or tries to, at least.)
Relationships: Korra & Naga (Avatar), Korra/Asami Sato, Lin Beifong & Mako, Lin Beifong & Naga, Mako & Naga
Comments: 19
Kudos: 152





	K-9

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ghostly_Business](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ghostly_Business/gifts).



> Ugh, Ghostly_Business, it is a testament to how much I adore you that I just spent the past three hours writing this idea out, instead of doing the work I needed to get done. (Also a sign of how little impulse control I actually have, but shhh.) Hope you enjoy!
> 
> I obviously own no rights to _Korra_.

Lin was used to all sorts of unwelcome surprises appearing in her police station, by this late date in her career. Hardened career criminals, hysterical drunkards, irate politicians, even the occasional spurned Avatar. But she still stopped in her tracks, blinking, when she strode into work early on the morning after Varrick and Zhu Li's wedding, and found an enormous dozing polar bear dog taking up half the aisle between her and her office.

"Chief!" Mako sprang from behind his desk, running a hand distractedly through his hair as he skimmed over the report that he wanted to discuss with her. "Just got a new tip from someone working for the Customs Office down at the docks. The Triads apparently have been smuggling controlled substances into Republic City, by paying off boats from the..."

"Mako, what in the name of all of the spirits combined?" Lin interrupted, gesturing at Naga.

Mako paused and shot a sideways glance at the sleeping intruder.

"Sorry, I didn't know what to do with her," he mumbled. "Korra and Asami left her tied up outside of my place, with a note saying that they were going to the Spirit World for a bit, and would I take care of Naga while they were gone, and..."

His voice trailed off, and Lin heaved a sigh. Yeah, okay, she could see how it would be a little difficult to deny not one, but two ex-girlfriends with whom you'd parted on amiable terms, when they entrusted you with a beloved pet. Especially when one of said ex-girlfriends was the Avatar, and said beloved pet was her trusted companion in both combat and life generally.

"Well, you can't just leave her in here," Lin pointed out. "Everyone else will be getting into work soon, and no one wants to spend the day stumbling around a full-grown polar bear dog. Take her back to your place."

"I can't," Mako muttered. "There's a strict no-pets rule, and she's not exactly easy to hide."

"Well, take her to Air Temple Island, then!" Lin improvised, throwing her hands in the air in frustration. Actually, not at all a bad idea to make the polar bear dog Tenzin's problem; his little Airbender children would enjoy having yet another giant furry animal to use as a jungle gym, in any event, especially one that couldn't just fly away if overly irked.

"But Tenzin and Pema and the kids just left for the Northern Air Temple!" Mako protested. "And _someone_ has to feed her, Chief!"

Naga had been pedaling her big paws a bit in her sleep already, but the insistence in Mako's voice woke her up properly. She slowly sat up and prodded the back of Mako's head with her enormous nose, whining, and Mako raised a hand to pat the polar bear dog's muzzle, his stubborn amber gaze never leaving Lin's.

The police chief rolled her eyes, wondering if this was how parents felt when trying to talk their children out of keeping strays acquired on the streets.

"Fine," she said finally, grabbing the report from Mako and skimming it. "Go get a full statement from the Customs Office about the smuggling, see if you can pick up any leads while you're there. And leave the polar bear dog in the yard on your way out, she's shedding everywhere."

Mako led Naga out into the yard, where she sat down sullenly on the asphalt and bowed her head in resignation. Mako ruffled her ears, looking around. The yard was a tiny space enclosed by high walls on three sides and a flimsy chain-link fence on the last. The odds were that Naga would just knock down the fence at some point during the day and go on an adventure around the city that would infuriate Beifong even more.

"Come on, girl," said Mako finally, and he swung himself up into the saddle on Naga's back. "Might as well take you with me." Maybe it was a little less elegant than a motorcycle, but if he managed to tire Naga out with a good long lope down to the docks and back, it was possible she'd just spend the rest of the day sleeping.

Only a few hours later, Lin found herself staring at Mako again.

"I'm sorry, what?!"

"I just asked Song to go take all of the contraband into evidence," Mako repeated. "I hope you don't mind."

"No, I... how did you _find_ all of it so quickly?" Lin scowled. Normally, operations like this took weeks to investigate thoroughly enough to actually find the alleged contraband, let alone prepare a sting and execute it.

Mako shrugged.

"Once the Customs officer showed us where she thought the contraband had been stored temporarily—the warehouse where all of the extra activity had been making her suspicious—Naga was able to trace the scent to the basement where the boxes had been moved."

"Mako," Lin growled, sounding as canine as Naga herself, "you do _not_ have the authorization to ask my Metalbenders to rush straight into a situation where there are likely to be armed guards..."

"Oh, we took care of the guards," Mako added hastily. "Um, yeah, I should warn you that some property damage occurred—all on their side, except for a Satomobile that Naga crushed when she jumped on it. I'll put it in the report. Sorry."

(Mako neglected to mention that Naga had only jumped on the Satomobile because three Triad members were closing in on Mako at the edge of an overpass as they chased him through the streets. Not only did the polar bear dog manage to knock one out by slamming both of her paws into his back, but she also had caught Mako by the scruff of his shirt just as he fell off the overpass. Dangling forty feet above the concrete below, Mako was doubly glad that he'd opted for Naga instead of a motorcycle. But Beifong always looked mildly nauseous whenever Mako had any sort of near-death experience while on the beat; and although Mako didn't know whether to feel honored or insulted to be the only member of the police force who had this effect on the Chief, he thought it best not to try her nerves even further with such details, either way.)

Lin crossed her arms with a harrumph.

"Well, credit where credit's due, kid—well done." She glanced at Naga, who was properly sleeping now, a puddle of drool oozing from her mouth onto the floor of Lin's police station. "And I guess the same goes for the dog, too. Sounds like she actually made herself extremely useful today."

"So," Mako grinned, "can we keep her?"

"Fine," sighed Lin. "But the minute Korra gets back, she goes home, you hear me?"

Even from this distance away, Lin could feel the Firebender beaming an extra dose of warmth through the air over this turn of events. Naga's eyes blinked open at this, and she raised her head and licked Lin sloppily across the cheek as the police chief stiffened in disgust.

"And she stays _o_ _utside_ ," Lin insisted, storming away from her ridiculous detective while trying to scrape polar bear dog drool off of her cheek with the palm of her hand.

* * *

Somehow, though, Naga didn't stay outside. As the days grew intermittently rainy, she could be found more and more frequently dozing behind Mako's desk, where he could easily scratch her ears or feed her treats if she begged. And Naga certainly deserved as many treats as Mako fed her; after only a week of her unofficial tenure with the Republic City Police, virtually the entire force was wondering why they hadn't created a K-9 unit decades earlier. Polar bear dogs, as it turned out, not only could trace scents, but could navigate traffic flows on behalf of a Bender who needed to be able to use both hands to fight; and could race up stairs or even leap between heights; and could jump into the Bay to evade angry gangsters; and, if push came to shove, could bite. Even the Chief could be heard grumbling that the polar bear dog had some significant advantages over a motorcycle, despite Naga's snoring loudly enough throughout the afternoons to make the papers on Lin's desk rattle.

"Aww, maybe that's what Lin needs!" Bolin proposed one evening, as he and Mako and Pabu sat on the edge of one of the piers, slurping takeout noodles and watching the stars come out over Yue Bay. Naga was in charge of her own dinner tonight, and every so often, her water-sleeked head would bob out of the water like a massive white tiger seal, a fish flopping between her strong jaws.

"What?" Mako asked, nonplussed.

"Her own polar bear dog!" Bolin beamed and shoved the rest of his noodles at Pabu, who dove in face-first with a chirp. "Because, you know, she lives alone, and she must get lonely, and if she likes Naga so much..."

"Bolin, I _don't_ think that Beifong wants a dog," Mako cut him off. "She spends literally all of her time at the police station, anyway!"

"Yeah," said Bolin, "but maybe she _wouldn't_ if she had an adorable puppy to play with, back at home!"

Mako sighed. He truly loved his brother, but sometimes it amazed him how much thicker Bolin's head could be than even the stone blocks that the Earthbender so easily manipulated.

On days when no action was occurring on the streets of Republic City and the sky was clear enough, Mako used his lunch break to take Naga out to the central park so the polar bear dog could stretch her legs a bit. Lin found them there one sunny but brisk afternoon, Naga loping in dizzy circles around a field while Mako lounged on a bench, watching her.

"Everything okay?" Mako asked, sitting up straight as his boss approached.

Lin nodded once. After a moment, Mako moved over so that Lin could take a seat on the bench, and the Metalbender hesitated for only a second or two before she did.

"It's nice out here," she commented, looking out over the trees with their leaves just beginning to turn. "I never think to go outside during the day."

"You're missing a lot of sunshine," Mako joked awkwardly, then wondered if he'd hit too close to the truth. Lin dragged herself into the station unfailingly just as dawn was breaking, and she usually didn't leave until well after dark, even in the summer. Chances were that his boss _had_ missed out on her fair share of sunshine and beautiful days alike, in her stubborn dedication to her work.

Lin said nothing, only gazed out over the park towards where Naga was frolicking.

"It's been almost three weeks," she said finally. "No word from Korra?"

Mako shook his head. He knew that a spirit would have sent word if anything had happened to Korra or Asami, so he wasn't worried. On closer inspection, Mako noticed that the mild jealousy that he'd first felt upon hearing of his friends' impromptu vacation had also dissipated. He certainly hoped that they were having an excellent time, but if he was honest with himself, Mako couldn't imagine anywhere he'd rather be than sitting in the chilly autumnal afternoon sunlight, in the midst of a hard day of work, surrounded by friends of one sort or another.

"I'm sure she'll be back soon, though," he reassured Lin.

To his amusement, something like a pout crossed the Chief's face as she contemplated Korra's return, but she caught herself and turned her attention away from Naga.

"Well, that's good," she told Mako. "I'd certainly say that you and the dog are doing a pretty damn good job of keeping Republic City under control, kid. But the rest of the world isn't so lucky, and it'll need its Avatar at some point or another."

Both police officers turned their heads as Naga skidded to a halt in front of their bench. She dropped a ball in front of Lin and sat back expectantly, mouth panting and paws kneading the ground.

" _No_ ," Lin told the polar bear dog. "Don't you remember what happened last time you tried to make me play fetch with you? Dumb dog."

Either Naga didn't understand Lin, or she refused to be deterred; she stayed exactly where she was, her tail thumping on the grass. Finally, Lin sighed and stood up, and Naga bounded to her feet, loping back and forth in a frenzied dance that made the ground shake. Lin shot out one of her metal cables, snaked it around the ball, and whirled it like a slingshot so that when the ball was released, it soared higher and farther than Mako ever could have dreamt of throwing it. Naga let out of yelp of pure excitement and dashed after the ball, her legs pounding the ground so furiously that her paws left deep footprints in the soil.

Mako knew he was grinning just as broadly as he suspected he was, when Lin turned and scowled at him.

" _What?_ " she snapped, crossing her arms. "All right, back to work, Detective, come on..."

But before Lin could take two steps away from the bench, Naga had thundered back up to her and dropped the ball at the police chief's feet once again. And Mako kept right on grinning as his boss swore, then sighed, then shot out another metal cable to throw the ball again for the ecstatic polar bear dog crouching in anticipation next to her.

* * *

A few days later, Korra reemerged from the Spirit World, looking refreshed and relaxed and entirely ready to get herself into some new form of trouble. To her credit, her first impulse upon entering the police station was to try to hug Mako, but Naga lunged forward and knocked Korra to the floor with a _thud_ that sounded as if it should have splintered the floor boards.

"Hey, girl," laughed Korra as Naga covered her face with polar bear dog kisses. "Looks like you missed me as much as I missed you, huh?"

"Good trip?" Mako asked Asami.

" _Great_ trip," Asami corrected him, smiling as Korra began to try to talk Naga into letting her up. "But it's good to be back home with all our friends."

She quirked a smile at Mako, and Mako smiled awkwardly back.

"Well, well." All of the commotion had drawn Lin out of her office, and she leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. "Glad you both made it back in more or less one piece. I suppose you're taking the dog?"

"Yeah, we'll get her out of your hair now." Korra grinned as Naga licked her face one more time for good measure, then finally took her paws off Korra's shoulders so the Avatar could sit up. "Thanks for taking care of her, Mako."

"Don't mention it." Mako shrugged and patted Naga's neck. "Honestly, she took care of me just as much."

"Come on, Naga," said Korra, hauling herself to her feet.

But the polar bear dog had wandered over to Lin, and after a long staring match, Naga nudged the police chief's arm with her nose and whined.

"Yeah, I'll miss you, too, you big dummy," Lin muttered, and to Mako's surprise, she briefly put her arms around the polar bear dog's neck. "Now get outta here."

Naga's tongue shot out and left a streak of drool on Lin's cheek as a parting gift, and Lin merely sighed and scrubbed half-heartedly at her cheek as she watched Korra and Asami depart, Naga's tail wagging behind them. She scowled at Mako when she saw him watching, but more with habit than with actual ire.

Life around the Republic City Police reverted back to normal. Mako felt strange the first time he found himself back in the saddle of a motorcycle, but he readjusted quickly enough to the sputtering and the fumes. Once or twice, when he wandered out to the park during his lunch break, Beifong joined him, the two eating their lunches side by side on a bench in companionable silence in the waning days of autumn.

And then, in the middle of one otherwise ordinary work day, an officer bounded in to inform the Chief that she had a special delivery waiting for her downstairs.

"Here's the card that goes with it," added the officer, and he handed the card to Lin, who skimmed it and dropped it onto Mako's desk with a snort. Curious, Mako picked it up as his boss headed out the door to go downstairs.

_Dear Lin,_

_Happy Birthday! Can't wait to celebrate with you and Mom in Zaofu next weekend. Hope you don't mind that we took the liberty of having your gift delivered the day of; we thought it would probably be more fun for you to get used to things on your own terms, rather than in the midst of a big family gathering. Opal says that Bolin helped her pick said gift out, on a suggestion from Mako that you might like it. (And, needless to say, we hope you bring it with you to Zaofu!)_

_Much love,  
Su_

Mako blinked, then bolted from behind his desk and dashed downstairs.

"Chief, I can explain, I didn't _actually_ tell Bolin to..."

But Lin was kneeling on the floor of the lobby of the police station, her hands under the front limbs of a tiny polar bear dog whose tail was beating happily against the walls of the crate that Lin had just opened. And, for once, the usually surly police chief wasn't even trying to mask her emotions with a grimace or a frown.

"Oh, stop staring, kid," she snorted when she spotted Mako. "I can't help it if my harebrained sister sends me ridiculous things for my birthday."

"You're not going to send it back, are you?" Mako asked.

"And spend next weekend listening to my mom yell at me about how she raised her daughters to have better manners?" Lin sniffed and pulled the puppy all the way out of the crate, supporting its hind legs with one arm so she could carry it upstairs with her. "No, thanks. Guess I'll just have to keep the damn puppy, won't I, especially since the Avatar took back our last police dog and we certainly could use another around the station."

And all Mako could do was shake his head with a bemused smile and follow his boss back upstairs, the squirmy puppy enthusiastically licking the police chief's cheek the entire way.


End file.
